Clerk of Orphans’ Court
Clerk of Orphans’ Court
Clerk of Records
Clerk of Orphans’ Court
Erie County Courthouse
140 West Sixth Street
Room 122
Erie, PA 16501
Information
As Clerk of the Orphans’ Court, we accept filings for Adoptions, Guardian of Incapacitated Persons, Court-related Estate proceedings, as well as miscellaneous petitions. We also accept filings for Guardian of the Estate of Minors. All other Guardians of a Minor shall be filed as Custody proceedings through the Erie County custody office. The previously mentioned matters usually require a hearing before the Judge of the Orphans’ Court. We would urge you to seek the assistance of an attorney in these types of matters.
All records in the Register of Wills and Orphans’ Court are open to the public with the exception of Adoption records, which are impounded (sealed by the Court) by law and available only by order of Court.
Case Management
On Monday March 3, 2025, the Erie County Register of Wills transitioned to a new case management system. Paperless Solution CourtPro case management system will provide our office and its users a fully integrated case management/document filing system. No Court filings or docket entries will be added into the INFOCON system after March 3, 2025.
If you already have an account with the Erie County Prothonotary CourtPro system, you will not have to register again. The records from the Prothonotary, Register of Wills, Orphans’ Court and Marriage Bureau will all be available at one on-line location.
Forms – Orphans’ Court
Minors
Petition for Guardianship of a Minor shall no longer be filed in Orphans’ Court, but shall be filed as a Custody matter. Please see the Family Law website or the following link:
Incapacitated Persons
| File | View |
|---|---|
| Guardian’s Inventory for an Incapacitated Person | |
| Report of Guardian of the Estate | |
| Report of Guardian of the Person | |
| Handbook for Guardians of Incapacitated Persons | |
| Administrative Order |
First and Final Accounts
| File | View |
|---|---|
| Audit Calendar – 2025 | |
| Model Estate Account | |
| OC 01 – Petition for Adjudication/ Statement of Proposed Distribution (Effective 01-01-2020) – PA Courts |
Adoption Searches
| File | View |
|---|---|
| Information Regarding Adoption Searches | |
| Petition for Release of Identifying Information (filed by Birth Parent) | |
| Petition for Release of Identifying Information (filed by Adoptee) |
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